Friday, August 19, 2011

Donkey Kong

A few months ago, I reviewed three Super Mario figures I picked up at a store in Queens. Those came packaged in stapled, plastic bags, cost me five bucks each, and may actually be the exact same figures that Toys R Us is selling for $17.50. At the time, I said they were smaller, but since then I've taken a closer look at what's on the pegs, and I'm not so sure anymore. I suppose I could always buy one as an experiment and check, but... yeah... not going to happen.

At any rate, the only one of the four figures Toys R Us is selling I didn't get was Donkey Kong, which was kind of a shame. See, the first video game I ever owned was Donkey Kong on the ColecoVision, and to this day the character remains one of my favorites in the Super Smash Bros. series.

But I still wasn't paying eighteen bucks for him.

Fortunately, Barnes & Noble was a bit more reasonable. They were selling these figures for $8.95, still a little pricey but a huge improvement.

I say that nine is pricey because - frankly - the toy isn't great. The sculpt is fine but nothing special, the paint is sloppy in some places, and the articulation is grossly inadequate. Also, keep in mind that this is a hollow figure made of soft plastic. In hand, this just doesn't feel like a nine dollar figure, let alone twice that.

Donkey Kong has four joints on the shoulders and hips. This does give you a few posing options: he can sit, stand on all fours, and stand upright. However, the lack of a neck joint is extremely limiting and irritating.

There's a fifth point of articulation, though it's not a joint. Donkey Kong's tie can be moved around him in case you want it off center or blowing in some imaginary breeze. Again, the lack of a neck joint limits the effect you can get with this.

This definitely isn't an awful toy, but I'd feel a lot better about the purchase if he'd been five or six bucks. Then again, I'd feel a lot worse if I had broken down and bought him at Toys R Us.